


could you imagine that? if we were gay? could you imagine?

by orphan_account



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, George being a cutie, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, but also a thirdwheel LMAO, dream being a good friend, sapnap gay panicking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:28:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25017793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: “What, and you’re scared? You need me to hold your hand while we go looking for mushrooms, George?”The blush on George's cheeks deepened, as he huffed and suddenly straightened. “Look, if you’re just gonna make fun of me, I can find somebody else.”George turned away, clearly flustered, and Sapnap felt a swoop of guilt in his stomach. God, this was the second time he had fought with him, and George hadn’t even done anything this time. Sapnap reached out and roughly grabbed his arm.“Wait!” Sapnap said, gulping. “I-I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean it. I’ll go to the forest with you.”George turned towards him, still doubtful. “And you won’t make fun of me?”“Cross my heart,” Sapnap insisted, before drawing a cross over his chest with his fingers. It was a lame attempt at humour, but George still laughed anyway. His soft giggles were so much brighter and clearer up close, and suddenly Sapnap couldn't remember why he had been so wary of the man in the first place.(or, George isn't good for Sapnap's emotional well-being and mental state of mind)
Relationships: Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), GeorgeNotFound/Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 486





	could you imagine that? if we were gay? could you imagine?

Sapnap liked to think all his problems started the day Dream had invited him on a hunt with a new friend of his. He was great at fighting off monsters, Dream had insisted, and they needed the extra help anyway. Sapnap had only shrugged. Dream picked up new friends all the time, especially with such a likeable and charismatic nature. This hadn’t surprised him at all.

What did surprise him, however, was the stubborn and snobbish man that Dream had somehow managed to drag along with him.

George hadn’t spoken much when they had first met, instead letting Dream delegate tasks for them to do, and Sapnap had awkwardly followed. He was used to loudly goofing off with Dream as they walked around to get supplies, and he had assumed George would do the same. However, the man was adamant on not saying a word, and Sapnap didn’t try to push him.

The late afternoon had been relatively silent thus far, and Sapnap was half-convinced it'd stay that way when a hissing sound filled the air, followed by George letting out a giant, gut-wrenching scream. The sound of an explosion came next, and Sapnap was too shocked by the blast to notice Dream wheezing loudly behind him. George stood in the middle of the debris, knee-deep in a hole of dirt, hurt and embarrassed. 

“Sapnap, this is all your fault!” George exclaimed, grabbing stray dirt around him to make a pathetic staircase out of the hole.

Sapnap frowned. “I didn’t even do anything!”

“You didn’t tell me there was a creeper there!” George said, pointing at the crater the creeper had left behind. “I could have died!”

“Well, you didn't,” replied Sapnap, suddenly irritated, and it had been the wrong thing to say. George huffed and stomped away from him, upset. If Sapnap wasn’t so frustrated, he’d feel guilty, but the sudden (and, quite frankly, unreasonable) accusation that had been thrown at him had put him in a less forgiving mood.

More time passed, and George's temper was steadily getting worse. The sun had barely set and Sapnap had already become fed up with his new companion. George had done nothing but get angry at every little thing he did, whether it be from cutting down the same tree or stealing a kill from him, and Sapnap was slowly losing it. George didn’t seem to have that same kind of short fuse with Dream, and he wondered whether George was only being nice to Dream for his sake or whether he had it out for Sapnap specifically.

As the sky faded from blue to orange and hostile monsters started crawling out of their caves and into open land, Sapnap couldn’t remember the number of times George had gotten mad at him one way or another. It was as if the man was physically unable to smile. His brows were always furrowed and his lips constantly downturned, only opening to give a short bark in Sapnap’s general direction every five seconds. If Sapnap didn’t know better, he’d think a silverfish had crawled up George’s ass and died.

When George had suddenly scared a herd of cows away with another one of his high-pitched, annoying screeches, Sapnap’s patience had quickly and immediately run out. 

“Dude, what the hell is wrong with you?” Sapnap asked, sharply. “We’re never gonna find another herd in a million miles!”

George scoffed, affronted. “It wasn’t _my_ fault a skeleton was shooting at me!”

“That doesn’t mean you had to scream like a baby!” Sapnap quickly retorted. “God, you act like you’ve never fought monsters before.”

George looked as if he was about to give an indignant reply, but it died on his lips as Dream placed a firm hand on his shoulder. “Guys, stop making so much noise. You’re gonna attract more monsters.”

“He started it,” George mumbled, backing away from Sapnap and removing Dream’s hand from his shoulder. Dream looked amused, before he turned to Sapnap.

“The herd’ll be back here tomorrow, don’t worry too much about it,” Dream assured, before bending down to pick up the remains of the skeleton he had just killed. “Besides, even if they don’t, they wouldn’t have ran too far.”

Sapnap nodded hesitantly, embarrassed over his sudden outburst, though Dream thankfully didn’t say anything about it. Instead, Dream quickly scooped up the bag of raw beef that the group had collected and did a cursory glance inside. He tied it back with a satisfied grin once he was done and looked up at the others.

“This’ll last us a few days, if we ration it properly,” Dream said. “I’m dying for some freshly-cooked steak.”

Rolling his eyes, George snatched the bag and started making his way up the path that led to their village. “As if I’m trusting _you_ to divide the food properly.”

“Hey!” exclaimed Dream, swiping for the bag. George stepped backwards and laughed, holding the bag away from him. 

“You always hog the food!” George insisted, and for the first time that night, Sapnap watched his lips stretch into an open grin. 

With a shout, Dream tried grabbing the bag again, which only motivated George to squeal and run away. Sapnap watched, confused but entranced, as Dream chased after George all the way back to the village, both of them giggling like school-kids. The bag swung wildly in George’s vice-like grip, while George continued to laugh, Dream yelling threats and insults at his retreating back.

Huh. So George _did_ have a fun side. 

Nodding at the other hunters in the area, Sapnap opted to take a more leisurely pace back home. George’s giggles still hung in the air, as though resonating around him, and for a brief moment Sapnap wondered if he’d ever be able to hear them again.

* * *

After their first encounter, Dream had somehow roped George and Sapnap into hunting with him again. The hunts were nothing special, and Dream mostly went hunting with George alone anyway, so Sapnap didn’t have to interact with George much, if at all. Sapnap had been steadfastly avoiding George as much as he could after their fight. He didn’t doubt that George was a good person, if Dream hanging out with him every day was an indicator, but he was still uncertain on where he stood with the man.

His plan to stay away from George was suddenly thwarted when the man appeared on his doorstep, seemingly awkward and sheepish. 

“Dream’s sick today,” George said in lieu of greeting, his cheeks pink. “And I was thinking of getting him some mushroom soup, you know, so he’d feel better, but…”

“But…?” Sapnap asked, cocking his head. 

George blushed as he looked down, scuffing the soles of his leather boots onto the stone beneath his feet. Bizarrely, Sapnap noted that he looked adorable, before his mind screeched to a stop at the sudden revelation.

George huffed, oblivious to Sapnap’s mental breakdown. “The only mushrooms I know of are near the thick forests, but there's too much shade. There’s probably a million monsters there hiding from the sun.”

It took a moment for the true meaning of George's words to hit him, but when it did, Sapnap let out a chuckle. “What, and you’re scared? You need me to hold your hand while we go looking for mushrooms, George?”

The blush on George's cheeks deepened, as he huffed and suddenly straightened. “Look, if you’re just gonna make fun of me, I can find somebody else.”

George turned away, clearly flustered, and Sapnap felt a swoop of guilt in his stomach. God, this was the second time he had fought with him, and George hadn’t even done anything this time. Sapnap reached out and roughly grabbed his arm.

“Wait!” Sapnap said, gulping. “I-I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean it. I’ll go to the forest with you.”

George turned towards him, still doubtful. “And you won’t make fun of me?”

“Cross my heart,” Sapnap insisted, before drawing a cross over his chest with his fingers. It was a lame attempt at humour, but George still laughed anyway. His soft giggles were so much brighter and clearer up close, and suddenly Sapnap couldn't remember why he had been so wary of the man in the first place.

“Come on," said George, already making his way to Sapnap's fence gate. "If we hurry, we can get the mushrooms before nightfall.”

Nodding, Sapnap quickly snatched his satchel from where it hung on the hook on his wall and ran after George. 

* * *

Sapnap wasn’t used to how far away the thick forests were from the village. He never had much of a reason to venture to them before, what with the plain fields surrounding his village being so full of food anyway. The few times he had made the trek to these forests were when he was with Dream, and Dream’s company was enough to distract him from noticing how long the journey had taken.

While the atmosphere between him and George was definitely less strained than before, there was still awkward tension in the air. The silence was heavy, but it wasn’t enough to distract him from the ache in his legs. If it were anyone else, he would have been loudly whining by now, jokingly begging for them to stop and turn back, but he didn’t feel like embarrassing himself in front of someone he barely knew.

An imaginary voice (that sounded strangely reminiscent of Dream’s) slipped into his mind, whispering, _“Since when did you care about what anyone thinks of you?”_

Sapnap blushed. "Shut up."

"Sorry?" asked George, a questioning look in his eyes.

“It’s nothing,” Sapnap hastily replied. He scratched the back of his neck nervously. “I was just… talking to myself.”

George quirked an eyebrow at him. “Wow, am I really that boring that you'd rather talk to yourself than to me?”

Sapnap’s eyes widened. “No, no! I-I didn’t know if you were cool with me talking and I—”

“Wait, no, it’s okay!” George cut in. “I was just teasing you.”

“Oh,” said Sapnap, feeling like an idiot. George only shook his head and turned back to the path in front of them, but Sapnap swore he could see a small smile gracing his features. It made his heart flip, much to his annoyance. Grumbling, he pushed those irritating feelings out of his mind and rushed back to George’s side.

“So,” said Sapnap, glancing around the pathway. “Why are we getting mushrooms for Dream again?”

“Because he’s sick,” George repeated. “Mushroom soup will make him heal faster.” 

“And?” asked Sapnap, confused. “Can’t we just give him a bucket of milk and let him sleep it off?”

George shook his head. “I need him to heal as soon as possible. We planned something for tomorrow, and we’ll both be upset if he misses it because he’s sick.”

“Dang,” said Sapnap, before sighing dramatically. “And here I thought you were just being a good friend.”

Sapnap yelped as George punched his shoulder. He winced, trying to rub the soreness away. George’s punches were a lot harder than he had expected, especially when George's body seemed so deceivingly petite. Looking up, he was about to start complaining about George being too strong for his own good when he noticed George’s red face.

“I _am_ a good friend!” George insisted, flustered. “And _as a good friend_ , I’m helping him heal quickly so he can do the thing that he wanted to do!”

Sapnap hummed, trying to ignore his throbbing shoulder. “Can I know what this ‘thing’ is, then?”

He was half-expecting George to say that he was keeping it a secret, which wouldn’t be too surprising considering how tight-lipped George and Dream were with their activities, so he was pleasantly surprised when George decided to indulge him anyway.

“You know the pillager outpost that’s just on the other side of that hill?” asked George, pointing to a giant, grassy mountain just behind the forest they were trekking towards. Sapnap could vaguely see the brown, curved roof of a tower sticking out past the top of the hill.

“Yeah?”

“We heard the pillagers are going on a raid tomorrow,” George explained. “It’s some village near the desert. Apparently, some hunters there killed their leader and they’re going to raid them as revenge.”

Sapnap frowned. “And what does that have to do with you and Dream?”

“Well, if the pillagers are going on a raid, their tower will have low security,” George said, before turning to face Sapnap. There was a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “Lesser pillagers mean easier access in and out of the tower.”

Blinking, Sapnap let George’s words process in his head before he let out a guffaw. “Oh, my god! You’re gonna loot the pillager outpost, aren't you?”

George blushed, punching Sapnap again (though, Sapnap noticed how he avoided the area he had hit before). “It’s not _that_ crazy! Besides, Dream’s the one who comes up with all our plans anyway.”

“And you didn’t stop him?” Sapnap asked, still chuckling. “Dude, you’re gonna get yourselves killed.”

George huffed. “It’s not like we haven’t done worse. This isn’t nearly as dangerous as some of the other things he comes up with.”

“You still haven’t answered my question,” said Sapnap. “You’ve never tried to stop him before?”

“Has saying ‘no’ ever stopped him before, though?” asked George, and Sapnap had to agree, though he didn’t voice it out loud. Dream had a way of convincing even the most stubborn of people to tag along on one of the many treacherous adventures that he always had planned for himself. Sapnap had been on enough of _those_ to know what they entailed, and he had mastered the art of conveniently being busy whenever Dream needed a partner in crime. 

He guessed he should have known that Dream would find someone more permanent sooner or later. An ugly feeling suddenly turned in Sapnap's stomach at the thought.

“Besides,” George continued. “I like hanging out with Dream.”

George's tone was casual, nonchalant, but it didn't stop the ugly feeling from worsening. He quickly chased it away, confused. What the hell was that? Why had the sudden thought of George hanging out with Dream left him strangely upset? 

The image of Dream and George making this same trek every day, laughing and joking while going on to whatever adventure they had planned, was troubling him for some reason. The thought of someone else being in his position, hearing George’s soft laughter ring in the air, feeling George’s harsh punches because he was just so easy to tease, seeing George’s permanently-red cheeks… he felt something cold and slimy wrap around his heart, and he’d be an idiot if he didn’t know what it was.

“Sapnap?”

Sapnap looked up, only to be met with George’s worried expression. Like the first night they had spent together, his brows were furrowed and his lips were downturned, but he had lost that aura of rage that had seemed to follow him everywhere he went that night. With his frustration replaced with worry, his features had softened considerably, and Sapnap couldn’t help noticing how handsome he looked like this.

Oh, god damn it.

“You okay?” George was asking, and Sapnap tried to force himself back into the present. “You went silent all of a sudden.”

“I-I was just tired,” Sapnap stammered, cursing at his sudden inability to string two words together. “I’m not really used to travelling this much.”

George nodded sympathetically. “It’s not that much further. See? You can already see the giant mushrooms from here.”

Then, he added cheekily, “I’ll race you.”

Sapnap barely had the time to process his words before George took off, laughing. He had no choice but to follow, forcing his legs to move. Even if he was larger than George, George seemed to have a steady lead against him. He watched as George turned to glance at him over his shoulder, a wide smile plastered on his face, and Sapnap felt his heart pounding harder and faster than his feet on the dirt ground.

As they neared the edge of the thick forest, George whooped in delight, reaching there first. Sapnap came a few steps behind and gripped a dark oak tree standing nearby as he heaved in deep breaths. He wondered if he could accuse George for cheating since he had started early, but George was grinning so brightly at him that he didn’t have the heart to watch it disappear.

Vaguely, he wondered why George was always the one who was running, and whether he would ever be able to catch up with him someday.

* * *

Sapnap should’ve known that his luck with getting George in a good mood would run out eventually.

It went alright at first, as they started to swap stories to pass the time. Sapnap had learnt so much about George, like how George was colour-blind and how he had a cat named Robert back in the village. Sapnap had jokingly asked if he could set up a playdate between their cats, and George was surprisingly quick to agree. For a moment, it seemed as if everything was going swimmingly between them, and Sapnap almost forgot why he had avoided talking to him for so long.

However, as the sun continued to stretch above them, Sapnap could feel George steadily become more frustrated. While the thick trees gave them more shade from the harsh heat, they had to be wary of monsters that hid themselves in the shade. The forest was also hard to navigate, and Sapnap found himself having to hack through leaves that blocked him more than once.

He and George had grown quiet, tense and tired from the journey, though Sapnap knew George was more frustrated at the lack of mushrooms. When Sapnap had pointed out that they could just get chunks of mushrooms from the giant ones that towered above them, George had snapped at him, stating that they needed the smaller ones in order to make the stew.

He had looked immediately guilty after that, as if he regretted what he did, and Sapnap decided against starting another argument. He wisely chose to shut up for once in his life, hoping that George would take his silence as forgiveness. George seemed to notice what Sapnap was trying to do, and smiled apologetically at him.

“I’m sorry,” George said, sheepish. “Dream’s always said I had anger issues, but I thought I was doing so well managing them. Until now, at least.”

“No, it’s fine,” Sapnap cut in. “I would’ve been frustrated too, if I was in your position.”

George smiled at him then, smaller but still just as pretty, making Sapnap’s heart do a few flips. “Thanks for being so understanding, even if I probably don’t deserve it.”

Sapnap wondered whether he should mention his own little episode the first night they went hunting together, before shaking his head. He didn’t want to ruin the tentatively calm atmosphere that the two men shared now. If anything, it was better to remain silent, so he did.

He kept quiet, watching George take the lead and trudge through the forest in front of him. There was the odd monster here and there, but George seemed to be holding in his screams this time. He had matched Sapnap’s silence, though a few groans did slip out every now and then, and Sapnap wondered if he’d have preferred it when George would yell every five seconds.

His question was quickly answered when an arrow whizzed past George’s head and a bloodcurdling scream left his lips.

“George!” exclaimed Sapnap, instinctively.

“I-I’m sorry!” George hastily apologised, gripping his shield tightly. “I was just, I was shocked, okay?”

Sapnap was about to reply when another arrow lodged itself into George’s shield. Three skeletons revealed themselves from the shadows, all their bows aimed directly at George. With another shout, George quickly took off running, as the skeletons focused their arrows on him.

“Sapnap!” George yelled, running blindly between the trees. “Sapnap, kill the skeletons! Kill the—"

George cut himself off with another scream, as he bumped into a group of zombies that had seemed to appear out of nowhere. Sapnap could only watch, bewildered, as the skeletons and the zombies cornered George. George looked around helplessly amidst the horrid mixture of groaning and the clacking of bones. It was quite the hilarious sight, and Sapnap couldn’t stifle the giggles that bubbled up his chest.

“Sap— are you laughing right now?!” George shouted, indignant, and it only made Sapnap laugh harder.

The zombies and the skeletons were too close now, with some of the arrows hitting the zombies instead. The zombies had grunted at them, before immediately focusing their attention on the skeletons. A small fight ensued between the monsters, and George took the opportunity to run back to Sapnap while they were distracted.

“You didn’t even help me, asshole!” said George, breathing heavily from the run and his own anxiety. “You’re such a shitty partner. I should have asked Bad to come instead.”

George bent down, gripping his knees with trembling hands, and Sapnap took a closer look at his physical state. A stray groan sounded from behind George, and Sapnap’s eyes widened as a surviving zombie made itself known. He quickly pushed George aside, who had been too oblivious to notice the zombie, before slashing the zombie with his iron sword. It took a few more swings to finish him off, but the zombie was soon reduced to nothing but rotten flesh, sitting pathetically on the ground.

“Still think I’m shitty?” Sapnap asked, smirking as he turned back to face George. George’s only response was to roll his eyes, though Sapnap noted that it was more fond and grateful than annoyed. 

“It was only _one_ zombie,” George said, crossing his arms. “I could have taken him on by myself.”

“Yeah, when your health is that low?” George blushed, his arms tightening around his body. George may not have voiced it out loud, but Sapnap had noticed how sluggish and pale George had seemed. He wasn't surprised, considering how George had been chased and hit by several monsters at the same time. Guiltily, Sapnap wondered if he should have done more to save him.

Reaching into his satchel, he pulled out a piece of bread wrapped in paper and handed it to George. George took it hesitantly, as if unsure. “Thank you.”

Sapnap shrugged. “No problem. Just heal up, okay? We still have a few more hours of daylight to find those mushrooms.”

George nodded, too tired for words, as he unwrapped the paper. Thick and golden-brown bread stared up at him from beneath the paper and George took an eager bite, uncaring of how long the bread had spent sitting at the bottom of Sapnap’s satchel. 

George’s mood brightened considerably after that, and he started initiating conversation between them again. They spent the rest of the day like that, with Sapnap using his stories as a way to distract George from how tired they were. It seemed to work, if George’s passing giggles were a good sign, and Sapnap wondered if being silent had been the wrong thing to do all along.

He made a mental note to ask Dream how _he’d_ usually handle George’s outbursts, but he was momentarily distracted as George suddenly let out a squeal of delight. Sapnap watched as George rushed forward and made his way to a patch of red and brown mushrooms.

“Finally,” George sighed, sinking to his knees. “Come on, let’s grab some and then we can go back home.”

Opening his satchel, George pulled the mushrooms from the ground and piled them into a cloth that he had set on the dirt. Sapnap took out his own cloth and bent down to help, separating the red ones from the brown ones so that George would have an easier time while cooking later. George threw Sapnap a grateful smile, before tying both cloths together into small bags.

Dumping the bags of mushrooms into his satchel, George sighed as he stood up, relieved. “That took a lot longer than I thought, but at least we’re done.”

Sapnap nodded, before they started making their way out of the forest. “You should try farming those mushrooms, then you could harvest them instead of travelling all the way here just to pick them.”

George paused, deep in thought. “That’s... actually a pretty good idea, Sapnap.”

“Well, I’m _full_ of good ideas,” Sapnap said, puffing his chest dramatically. George rolled his eyes and punched Sapnap on the shoulder again. Sapnap tried not to think about how he was starting to enjoy them.

“Don’t get too cocky, it was just one,” George retorted, but the easy smile was back on his face. He looked more relaxed, now that his quest had been completed, and Sapnap thought he liked George better when he was pliant like this. Not that he didn’t like seeing George when he was annoyed, or when he was laughing, or when he had that worried expression on like before.

Okay, maybe Sapnap had a thing for all of George’s facial expressions. Sue him. Every face that George made had made his heart flip one way or another, and Sapnap was too tired to get into _why_ exactly he felt that way. Beside him, George was fiddling with the strap of his own satchel, looking nervous. He turned towards Sapnap and gave him a small grin, and Sapnap quickly filed it away in the “George’s cute faces” folder he had already formed and stored in his mind.

“Thanks for coming out here with me today,” George said. “It was really fun.”

God, he was adorable. “Yeah, it was. We should do this again some time.”

Sapnap had meant it casually at first, but George’s eyes suddenly lit up. “We should! You should come with me and Dream tomorrow.”

“Uh, I’m not really looking to get murdered,” Sapnap said, receiving another eye-roll from George. “But maybe I’ll come along for something less… dangerous.”

George was silent for a while, contemplating Sapnap's words, before he nodded. “I guess that’s fair.”

And then he smiled at Sapnap again, brighter and more sincere, and Sapnap wondered whether he’d ever get used to George’s smiles.

When he lay in bed that night, body sore from the trek (and George’s punches), and George’s tiny grins and all of their variations replaying in his mind, he made the conclusion that he never would.

* * *

A few months had passed, and Sapnap and George were quickly becoming closer. They were more talkative whenever they went hunting together, and Sapnap had even started hanging out with George alone. They still fought a lot whenever they were together, but it had faded into amicable bickering.

“Glad to see you and George getting along!” Dream had said one night, after the three of them had spent the afternoon exploring a nearby cave for extra iron. “It’s great to see you two becoming friends.”

Sapnap had only nodded at his words, embarrassed even though he had no reason to be. He had long come to terms with his crush on George, but he hadn’t had the opportunity to tell Dream about it yet. Though, with the way things were going, he didn’t know if he really wanted to ruin his friendship with George over some potentially unrequited feelings.

Sapnap couldn’t help it, however. George had crawled into his life like a snake, slithering his way through his emotional walls and into his heart. He had grown comfortable enough with the man to start teasing him, which eventually led to more bickering, but Sapnap didn’t mind. He was growing addicted to it, hungry for every bit of attention George could give him.

Which was why, like a lovesick idiot, Sapnap had agreed to tag along on Dream and George’s adventures.

Dream seemed to be the main reason why all their quests ended up so dangerous, but George was no better. They were both lunatics, with Dream coming up with a seemingly impossible task, and George enabling him by helping him find a way to complete it. The manic look in George’s eyes when he got excited over his plans made up for the hours Sapnap had been forced to spend holed up in Dream’s home, with the two of them scouring over books and maps for more information and strategies.

The craziest part to all this, Sapnap had thought, was the bizarre way all of their quests had begun.

Their current quest had started when a few horses began roaming near the village, and Dream and George wanted to tame them. However, instead of fishing for saddles like any normal person, they had instead opted for finding a desert pyramid and taking the saddles that were rumoured to be in their chests instead.

Because that was clearly _much_ easier than just fishing.

If it were anyone else, Sapnap would’ve just said ‘no’. Even if it were Dream, as stubborn as he could be, Sapnap would still find a way to put his foot down. There was nothing remotely worth travelling all the way to a desert just to find a rare temple, and then risking his life through all the obstacles set in said temple to retrieve a _saddle_ , of all things, and Sapnap was confident enough in his ability to assess dangerous situations before he committed to them.

Unfortunately, the person who had asked him was _George_ , and Sapnap knew he had lost the moment George walked up to him, fidgeting slightly. Even after hanging out together so often, George was still just as nervous with approaching him as he was the first time he had done it, when he had asked Sapnap to pick mushrooms with him. Sapnap didn’t know whether it was because he was distracted by George’s cute behaviour or whether he was just that desperate to spend more time with the man, but he had blindly agreed to whatever it is George had asked of him.

Which, of course, had led him to the predicament he was in now.

“Dream? DREAM?!”

“Dream, where are you?!”

Sapnap looked around inside the temple, cursing Dream’s inability to stop and think rationally. They had spent hours walking through the desert, trudging through burning heat and stumbling over unstable sand under their feet, so the sight of the desert pyramid had been enough to give them back the motivation they needed to keep going.

However, it had seemed that Dream’s energy had increased tenfold, as he started sprinting towards the temple, with George and Sapnap struggling to follow. As he reached the desert pyramid, he hastily climbed up the sides, oblivious to George and Sapnap calling for him to slow down. The last Sapnap had seen of him was his legs as he jumped headfirst into the pyramid. 

George and Sapnap had exchanged panicked glances as they desperately climbed up the pyramid, their exhaustion suddenly replaced with adrenaline running through their veins. By the time they had reached the top of the pyramid and glanced inside, Dream was nowhere to be seen.

"Do you have a torch?"

"What?" asked Sapnap, bewildered.

"A _torch_ , Sapnap," George said, his tone sharp.

Sapnap quickly reached into his satchel and pulled out a stick and a piece of coal, rubbing the coal atop the stick. A flame ignited itself a few seconds later, before he thrusted the torch into George's awaiting hands. Leaning against the rim of the pyramid, George practically slid over the sandstone beneath him as his upper half suddenly disappeared. Sapnap hastily grabbed George's legs, anchoring them down before George could meet the same fate as his companion.

“Dream?” called George, dangling his arm down the hole in the roof of the pyramid. The fire on the torch was nowhere near strong enough to light up the whole room, but it was enough for George to be able to squint past the darkness.

Below him, he watched as something shifted in the shadows, before a few groans were released. It was too pained and soft to be a zombie, and Sapnap’s predictions were proven correct when George suddenly gasped. “It’s Dream!”

Peering over the edge himself, Sapnap watched as a dark figure shakily tried to push himself up into a seating position. As the figure turned over to face them, Dream’s white mask glinted in the light coming from George’s torch.

“I’m fine,” Dream breathed, his voice barely audible. “I just got too excited, I guess.”

Sapnap and George both sagged in relief, unaware of the breath that they were both holding. George tossed the torch down, satisfied when it landed near enough for Dream to reach, before reaching into his own satchel to make another.

“You’re such an idiot, Dream,” George was saying, loud enough that it travelled all the way to Dream and elicited an indignant ‘hey!’ from him. “If you had just _listened_ when we told you to stop, you wouldn’t have been hurt.”

Sapnap huffed a chuckle, still dizzy with relief, before his eyes caught on the torch in George’s hands. “Wait a minute, you already had a torch? And you still got mad at me for not making one for you sooner?”

“I wasn’t thinking, okay?” George said, embarrassed. “I was panicking too much.”

Sapnap hummed, smirking at George. “Well, _I_ wasn’t panicking at all.”

“You _were_ , you liar!” George laughed, punching Sapnap on the shoulder.

Sapnap quickly rubbed his sore shoulder, sticking his tongue out at George. “Were not.”

“Were too.”

“Were _not_.”

“Were _too_!”

“Uh, guys?”

George and Sapnap jumped, heads whipping towards the source of the voice that broke their trance. Glancing down, Sapnap watched as Dream stood up, finishing the pork-chops that were in his hand. He had to bend slightly as his back hit the tilted inner walls of the pyramid, and it was only then that Sapnap noticed how Dream was standing precariously on an elevated level. 

Dream smiled sheepishly at the pair above him. “I need a little help getting down here.”

“Dude, can’t you just jump?” asked Sapnap, looking at the relatively short distance between the elevated level and the one below it. Dream was weak, but the fall was small enough that it was practically harmless. Vaguely, he wondered if he was just irritated that Dream had interrupted him and George, before his mind questioned why Sapnap had been so wrapped up with George in the first place.

Dream was shaking his head at Sapnap, and it took a moment for him to realise that Dream was referring to his earlier statement rather than the stupidly embarrassing thoughts he was having in his head. "It's not about the drop, there's monsters hidden everywhere in the first level and I need to heal."

"How are we supposed to get down?" called George. "There's no way we'd survive that drop either."

"Go to the side entrances," Dream replied, pointing to the sides of the pyramids. "There's one on each side, but I think they're all blocked off by sand."

"Fantastic," George muttered, rummaging through his satchel for a shovel. "The idiot gets trapped in a desert temple but _we're_ the ones who have to dig through walls of sand to get him out."

Sapnap couldn't stop the giggles that spilled from his lips, and Dream huffed indignantly from below them, offended. He'd almost felt bad for Dream, and he knew Dream would find a way to get back at him for making fun of him sooner or later, but the playful smile on George's face as he giggled along with Sapnap was completely worth it.

"Why don't we just ditch him, George?" Sapnap asked, ignoring the loud 'what?!' beneath him. "I mean, it's technically not _our_ fault he's in there."

George's eyes twinkled with mirth as he tapped his lips, as if seriously thinking over Sapnap's words. "He _did_ put himself in this situation."

" _George_!"

"It's settled then," Sapnap sighed, standing up dramatically. George followed him, his face blank even though his shoulders were shaking slightly. "Let's go, George. We don't need _Dream_ in the _Dream Team_ anymore."

"That doesn't even make sense!" Dream called, as George and Sapnap quickly slid from the top and jumped down the sides of pyramid, out of Dream's sight. Once they slowed to a stop at the very bottom of the pyramid, with the smooth sand somewhat cushioning their fall, they briefly exchanged glances before erupting into laughter.

"Oh, my god," George said, trembling so hard he was losing grip of his shovel. "I-I can't believe we did that to him."

Sapnap shrugged, grinning. "But he deserves it, doesn't he?"

"He did," George agreed.

And suddenly George was looking at him again, his eyes squeezed in delight and his mouth agape in an open grin. He looked carefree, the last of his giggles still lingering on his lips, and Sapnap was struck by the look of adoration in George's eyes. It _had_ to be adoration, Sapnap thought, because he could feel himself become overwhelmingly lost in it. Sapnap had always looked at George as if he was the world, but for the first time, he could feel his own affections being mirrored back.

"GUYS, YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY GONNA LEAVE ME HERE, RIGHT?!"

Of course, Dream wouldn't be their best friend if he didn't constantly keep interrupting their moments. 

George blushed as Dream's voice shattered through their bubble again, and he quickly turned away to stare at the wall of sand in front of him. Behind him, Sapnap was inwardly groaning, cursing at his friend for yet again being the bane of his existence. Screw Dream and his stupid needs.

In front of him, George had already started digging through the sand. He held his measly shovel tightly in his grasp, and Sapnap saw how harsh his grip was. He wondered if he should ask if he was okay, but then he noticed George's red cheeks, and Sapnap realised he was just flustered. His heart fluttered at the thought that it was _him_ who made George blush, before he remembered that he was supposed to be helping said man dig through the sand.

It had taken a while, especially considering how both Sapnap and George were using stone shovels, but the sand had finally broken through to form a makeshift doorway. In the time it'd taken them to make that hole, Dream had already healed himself, dangling his legs from where he sat on the second floor.

"God, it took you long enough," said Dream, swinging his legs back and forth. "I got bored."

George rolled his eyes. "Whatever, can you come down now?"

Dream shook his head. "Check for monsters first."

"This is ridiculous," George muttered, leaving Sapnap's side to hang torches along the pillars of the room. 

As the area steadily became more lit up, Sapnap could start to appreciate the interior of the temple. The floor was decorated with shades of beautiful terracotta, muted tones of orange and purple staring back at him. The room was much bigger than he'd expected, and he hadn't noticed the sheer amount of space behind the pillars until George had placed torches near them, the shadows suddenly disappearing to reveal hostile monsters spilling out into the area they were in.

Sapnap and George did quick work of slicing through zombies and skeletons, standing back to back in the middle of the room, and it felt strangely... nice, to have George so close to him. George was shorter than him, and he didn't think about how easily George's body fit into his until they stood like this, George's shoulder blades sliding comfortably against Sapnap's. It was deliciously addicting, this kind of contact between them, and he could almost feel George's heat seeping into his skin through their thin armour.

By the time the monsters had finally been slain, Dream had already dropped down from the second floor and helped them scan the area. Sapnap felt George shift behind him, as if about to move away, and instinctively he stepped closer to keep their shoulders pressing together. He pretended not to notice the way George was suddenly looking at him, instead opting to look around the room for the millionth time, hoping desperately that George wouldn't see his blushing cheeks.

George huffed questioningly and turned away, though he didn't move from where Sapnap kept their shoulders pressed together, and Sapnap saw that as an absolute win.

"Good work, guys," Dream said, smiling at the pair, oblivious to their sudden closeness. "Now, we just have to find where they keep their treasure."

Sapnap frowned, glancing at the many pathways connecting the room they were in and potentially a million more behind each doorway. "We're never going to find the treasure like this, any path could be a trap."

" _All_ the paths are traps," George piped up. Sapnap turned to him, confused, before George tapped the terracotta floor beneath his feet. "The real treasure's down here."

Sapnap glanced down again, looking closer at the terracotta he had admired before. If George hadn't told him there was treasure beneath it, he'd never have found it himself. "What, so we just mine underground?"

"We can't" replied Dream, shaking his head. "There's a big drop underneath, and they placed a trap there that'd trigger an explosion if we land on it. Our safest bet is to dig down along the walls."

George and Sapnap nodded, before the three of them pulled out their pickaxes and started chipping away at the sandstone beneath them. George had pointed out to Sapnap where it was safe to dig down, making sure to highlight the border of where the drop would likely be, before leaving Sapnap to dig through another corner.  
  
Sapnap wondered how Dream and George had become so knowledgeable of desert pyramids, and thought about how George must have spent hours with Dream, pouring over books together to get as much information as they could about this place. It left a bitter taste in his tongue, and he aggressively turned away.

Sapnap kept quiet after that, letting Dream and George's idle conversations wash over him. Every time he heard George's tinkling laugh burst out from him again, courtesy of Dream, he wondered if this was exactly what he had been missing: this opportunity to be with George, no longer just hunting and talking to pass the time but actively exploring unknown places together while having each other's back at the same time.

The thought that he'd potentially missed out on so much with George annoyed him.

A hissing sound filtered into the room, almost inaudible amidst Dream and George talking if Sapnap hadn't immediately concentrated his ears on it. It was dangerously familiar, and he suddenly stood up, facing the source of the noise with a shout, but it was too late.

“George!” Sapnap yelled.

Sapnap squeezed his eyes shut instinctively at the creeper explosion, but during the brief moments before his eyelids had closed completely, he could see how close George was to the creeper. Debris scattered around them, ricocheting against Sapnap’s shield, and Sapnap heard a familiar screech from in front of him.

He forced his shield down and whipped his head around wildly. Scanning the area, he noted how George was nowhere to be seen, before his eyes landed on the giant hole in the floor. The sandstone had broken to reveal a secret room beneath what had originally seemed to be the ground, and Sapnap rushed to it.

Dropping onto his knees, he peered into the hole and breathed a sigh of relief at seeing George at the bottom of the room. His relief, however, was short-lived, as he realised that George wasn’t moving.

Glancing at how deep the hole was, he realised that the drop had been drastically larger and much less forgiving than the one Dream had taken earlier. There was no way George could survive that kind of fall. He froze, his blood turning to ice as he realised the implications of it all.

“Is he..?” Sapnap asked, voice shaky. His soul felt as if it was jittering in his body, but physically he was numb with fear.

Beside him, Dream didn’t answer, instead opting to take out his iron pickaxe and start silently mining down the rest of the sandstone below his feet down to George. Sapnap stayed where he was, as if rooted to the spot, and he felt overwhelmingly helpless. His mind was jumping to conclusions, too quick for him to keep up with, and all he could do was uselessly watch as Dream got nearer and nearer to George.

When Dream was only a few feet above the ground of the room, he jumped down, though he took care to avoid the large plate sticking out of the middle of the ground. It was an obvious trap, and Dream dug his hands underneath the plate before tugging on it. It ripped easily from the ground, and Dream tossed it aside as he glanced at George, the immediate danger gone for now.

Sapnap watched as he bent down and cradled George’s head, before feeling up his neck. Sapnap’s breath caught in his throat, desperately awaiting Dream’s assessment. He couldn’t let his mind jump to conclusions just yet. Beneath him, Dream suddenly sagged with relief, and hope jumped up in Sapnap's chest.

“He’s still alive!” Dream called towards Sapnap, and Sapnap felt his body suddenly loosen. “He hit his head pretty hard, though, and also probably the rest of his body, but he’s still breathing.”

Sapnap released a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding, and suddenly it felt as if the world had been lifted off his shoulders. He was almost dizzy with relief, and he slumped against the sandstone beneath him to catch a breath. Below him, he heard the creaking of chests being opened and slammed shut. A part of him wondered how Dream could be thinking of looting at a time like this, before he remembered that the treasure was the sole reason they’d come here anyway.

Perhaps it was Sapnap who had to reconsider his priorities.

He pushed himself up with shaky arms, suddenly desperate to get to George. Taking out his own iron pickaxe, he started chipping away at the floor below him. Just as he had reached the bottom, Dream had already finished looking at the chests.

“We need more supplies,” Dream said, turning to face Sapnap. “I’ve got string to help pull George out but we still need a stretcher, and there’s no way we could carry him all the way back.”

“So what’s the plan?” asked Sapnap, his eyes suddenly latching onto George. Dream had emptied out the contents of George's satchel and folded the bag to make a smooth, soft pillow for George's head. It was the best they could do for now, but Sapnap was already itching to look at George's head himself.

“I could tame a horse and kill some cows to get leather,” Dream said, oblivious to Sapnap's inner breakdown. “If I kill enough cows, we could make a stretcher, and then we can use the horse to carry George home.”

Sapnap nodded absentmindedly, still watching George, before suddenly rushing to George's side when he saw him shift. George was groaning softly, pained but too hurt to voice more than a whimper, and Sapnap couldn't help kneeling down beside him. Dream watched them, concerned, though he didn't move any closer. Sapnap guessed it was because he was already taking up George's whole side, but he refused to move. 

“I’ll stay here,” Sapnap said, turning to look at Dream over his shoulder. “To make sure George’s safe.”

“I’ll be okay,” George muttered, shakily trying to force himself up. “I can protect myself.”

Sapnap frowned. “No, you can’t. You can barely move! Just let me do this.”

George looked as if he wanted to reply, but suddenly winced as pain shot up his body. Sapnap held him down, frown deepening as he took note of George's injuries. Behind him, he felt more than heard Dream shift around behind him, hearing the telltale sign of iron boots scraping against sandstone and a satchel tightening itself.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can," Dream called.

Sapnap nodded, not looking away from George. Distantly, he could hear Dream take loose sandstone to stack his way up and out of the room, and the sounds faded just as quickly. For a moment, everything was silent and still, before Sapnap felt George shift from underneath him again.

"I thought I told you not to get up," Sapnap murmured, gently holding George down as he fruitlessly tried to get up again. George huffed, annoyed, and Sapnap noted how his eyes were still half-lidded.

"I feel weird like this," George whined. "It's uncomfortable. Also, my head should be elevated."

Sapnap snorted. "I can't believe you're still so bossy when you just hit your head."

"I'm not bossy," George said, batting at Sapnap's face above him. "But I _do_ need my head to be elevated."

Sapnap rolled his eyes, but scanned the room for an object anyway. Everything around him was either too small or too big, and he sighed. Looking down at his hands, he wondered whether he could feasibly hold up George's head in the time it'd take for Dream to come back, but he knew it'd be uncomfortable. There was only one other solution left, and he gulped as he realised what he'd have to do.

"Why don't," stammered Sapnap, coughing to hide his obvious stutter. "Why don't you lie your head on my lap?"

George was silent for a moment, and Sapnap wondered whether he had completely made everything awkward for the both of them, before George quietly nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that."

George then closed his eyes, presumably too exhausted and hurt to keep them open any longer, and Sapnap allowed himself to have a mini-freakout. He glanced down at George's head, trying to ignore how serene he looked and how desperately Sapnap didn't want to ruin that for him, before gently sliding his hands under George's head. 

Sapnap shifted, pulling the satchel out from under George and tossing it away, before quickly moving into position. He slowly let George's head fall into the dip of his legs, where they had crossed themselves against the sandstone, and George visibly relaxed at the new pillow. Sapnap had never seen George look so open and calm and _vulnerable_ , and Sapnap felt himself becoming entranced.

Hesitantly, Sapnap reached out and gently brushed his fingers through George's hair, and George made a small approving noise. They were at the bottom of a deep hole, miles away from home with Dream nowhere to be seen, but in that moment, with George sleeping in his lap, Sapnap had never felt so at peace.

* * *

“Hey.”

Sapnap looked up, frowning. George was standing at the doorway, wobbling slightly as he desperately held on to the wooden doorway for support. Sapnap quickly stood up from where he was sitting and rushed to him, before grabbing his arms.

“What are you doing out of bed?” Sapnap asked, worry lacing his tone. “You need to rest up, you aren’t healed completely yet—“

“I wanted to see you,” George cut him off, before blushing. “Y-You know, to thank you for taking care of me.”

Sapnap sighed. Even when he was being stupid, he was still so adorable. “You know you could have just waited to see me, right? I was gonna pop in later anyway.”

George looked down, clearly flustered, and Sapnap was reminded of the time he had appeared at his doorstep, asking if he’d pick mushrooms with him. God, that felt like so long ago, even if it were probably only a matter of months. He and George had changed so much since then, but he hoped things like this never would. 

“I couldn’t wait,” George said, still leaning onto Sapnap. His close proximity was making him dizzy, and Sapnap vaguely wondered if he should be supporting George move to the chair behind him. “I wasn’t really thinking when I left the room to find you, I-I’m sorry.”

It was impossible for someone to be so cute, but George had somehow managed to make Sapnap’s heart burst like fireworks in his chest. He quickly turned away, hoping George didn’t notice his own reddening cheeks, before gently bringing George to the stool he had been sitting on. 

“Next time, call me if you need anything,” Sapnap said, before straightening. “I’ll make you some hearty soup. You look like you’re gonna pass out any time soon.”

As Sapnap moved towards the kitchen and busied himself at the counter, he felt George’s gaze on him. It was nothing special, since George was probably just casually watching him, but it made Sapnap nervous nonetheless. He tried to focus on cutting the ingredients before him, and steadfastly ignored the burning feeling of George’s eyes on his back. As he finally placed the ingredients into the pot of boiling water he’d left on the stove, he turned to see George looking deep in thought.

Silently sliding towards him, Sapnap nudged George out of his stupor. “You doing okay? Or do you want me to bring you back to your bed?”

George blinked slowly, before shaking his head. “No, sorry, I was just thinking.”

“About?”

George smiled softly to himself, as if it was a secret only he knew. “Just, about how much we’ve changed.”

Sapnap scoffed, even if he knew exactly what George meant. “What are you talking about? I haven’t changed at all, see? I’m still the same guy you met back then, when we went hunting with Dream.”

“Uh-huh,” said George, rolling his eyes. “I don’t think the same man who shouted at me for ‘ _screaming like a baby_ ’, as you so eloquently put it, would be making me hearty soup right now.”

There was a playful smile on George’s face, but Sapnap still felt his stomach sink. He moved away, and George’s smile slipped off his face as he noted Sapnap’s serious expression. Sapnap took a deep breath. “Listen, about that day, I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have said that to you, and I shouldn’t have been so mean to you after that.”

George frowned. “You don’t have to apologise, I knew you were joking.”

Sapnap shook his head. “Not at first.”

“That doesn’t matter,” George said, before leaning up. Sapnap discreetly knelt down further so George could reach his shoulder, trying to ignore how close their faces suddenly were. “We’ve changed a lot since then, okay? I don’t blame you for whatever you did back then. I mean, if I were in your position, I would’ve done the same thing.”

Sapnap sighed. “No, you wouldn’t. You’re not a dick.”

George laughed at that, and Sapnap’s heart soared at the sound of his soft giggles. He had forgotten how much he loved to hear them.

“Maybe,” George agreed, still smiling brightly at Sapnap, and Sapnap hoped he could capture the picture of that grin forever. “But I still like you even if you _are_ a dick.”

Sapnap’s heart stuttered to a stop. “What?”

George suddenly blushed, and Sapnap hoped desperately that he wouldn’t take back his words. As if God had actually listened to his prayers for once, George visibly steeled himself before facing Sapnap with a more determined look in his eyes.

“I-I do,” George stammered, stumbling over his own forced confidence, and Sapnap chose to ignore the little hitch in his voice. If George wasn’t so flustered, he’d have noticed how Sapnap had suddenly gone still. “A-And I know this is probably really sudden and w-weird, but I couldn’t keep lying to you anymore, and—”

George was cut off as Sapnap suddenly pressed his lips against his, too happy for his body to handle. George blinked in shock before he enthusiastically returned the favour, his hands sliding up Sapnap’s shirt to fist his collar. Sapnap didn’t know how long he had stood there, with his hands pressed firmly around George’s back and shoulders, but he couldn’t bring himself to let go.

For a brief moment, Sapnap was in total and utter bliss. Of course, as always, Dream had to come and ruin it.

“Hey, guys, do you smell something burn— HOLY SHIT!”

George and Sapnap jumped apart, and Sapnap whirled around to see Dream standing at the doorway. Even with his mask on, Sapnap could still see his mouth opened wide in shock. Sapnap felt himself unconsciously mirroring his expression.

“Dream!” exclaimed Sapnap, fiddling his fingers. “H-How are you doing?”

“WHAT WAS THAT?”

“Uh, what was what?”

“THAT! T-THE KISSING AND, AND THE GRABBING AND—”

"I-I really have no idea on what yo—"

"I _KNEW_ YOU GUYS HAD A THING FOR EACH OTH—”

"Dream, please, I don't know what you think you saw—”

“SAPNAP!” yelled George suddenly, eyes wide. “THE POT!”

Sapnap whipped his head around at the boiling pot beside him, which had suddenly started overflowing. Hastily, he turned off the stove and grabbed a few cloths, before using them to lug the pot off. He sat the pot on the counter, before batting fruitlessly at the smoke around him. Dream had joined his side, opening all the kitchen windows to let the steam out. George could only watch the mess in front of him, as he sat uselessly atop his stool.

Picking up the lid of the pot, Sapnap quickly inspected the contents inside and grimaced. What little of the soup that hadn’t already spilled over looked smoky and gross, with little pieces of charred mushrooms floating disgustingly around the pot. 

“Guess we’re having steak for lunch,” Sapnap muttered as he replaced the lid.

Dream snatched the pot from Sapnap’s hands before placing it in the sink with a heavy thunk. Turning to Sapnap, he started ushering him out of the kitchen, grabbing George’s arm on the way out.

“Get outta here, lovebirds,” said Dream, his tone amused. It seemed as if he had recovered from the shock of finding his two best friends making out in the middle of the kitchen, and Sapnap thanked God that Dream was smart enough to not ask anymore questions. “I’ll fix up lunch while you two go… do whatever it is you want to do.”

“Dream!” Dream wheezed as George blushed again. Rolling his eyes fondly, George glanced at Sapnap as if to say 'could you believe this guy?', but Sapnap was too fixated on his pink cheeks and the way George’s hair stuck up from where Sapnap had run his fingers through it. His lips had never looked so enticing before, and Sapnap gulped. 

“Thanks, Dream,” Sapnap said, trying to hide his eagerness to leave with no avail. “But George looks pretty worn out so I’m just gonna take him back to bed.”

George groaned at how obvious Sapnap was being, and Dream could only chuckle. “Knock yourselves out. Though, maybe not too hard. George’s still injured, after all.”

“DREAM!”

Sapnap quickly wrapped his arms around George’s shoulders and guided him back to his room, ignoring Dream having a laughing fit in the middle of the hallway. Glancing at George, he realised that George had a concerned look on his features.

“We’re not actually gonna do anything, right? Because I really am injured, Sapnap, and if you even _think_ of starting something while I’m still healing—”

“I won’t do anything!” Sapnap insisted as they reached George’s bedroom door. He opened the door and supported George all the way to his bed. Glancing around the cramped space, he wondered if he could convince George to move in with him instead, before blushing at the thought. He really needed to chill, he thought to himself.

George eagerly laid down onto the bed, clearly exhausted, and Sapnap pulled up his desk chair to sit on. He watched as George settled himself into his bed, sighing as he finally got comfortable. George threw a lazy glance at Sapnap with half-lidded eyes, and Sapnap was hit with a sudden wave of affection for the man in front of him. He wondered if he’d always feel this way.

George hummed. “Are you just gonna watch me sleep?”

“Seems like it,” Sapnap replied, grinning. “Your room’s too small to put another bed next to it.”

“We’ll sleep over at your house next time,” George mumbled, and Sapnap’s heart fluttered at the thought.

Sapnap nodded, before remembering that George probably couldn’t see him. “Sure.”

George hummed again, absently grabbing Sapnap’s arm to hug in his sleep. Sapnap quirked an eyebrow, already mentally storing this memory to make fun of George for it once he wakes up. George batted at Sapnap’s face, as though he knew exactly what Sapnap was thinking.

“Don’t judge me,” George said, his speech slurred. “I’m allowed to do this, aren’t I?”

Sapnap toyed with the idea of teasing George that they weren’t officially dating yet, but after seeing how tired George was, he decided he’d do it later. They had all the time in the world, after all.

“Of course, you are,” said Sapnap, and George didn’t comment on how his voice went softer.

“Mmm, I think I’ll go to sleep now.” George yawned and hugged Sapnap’s arm closer to his chest, and Sapnap didn’t have the heart to pull away even though he knew he’d get killer cramps later. “Wake me up when Dream’s done with lunch, okay?”

“Okay,” assured Sapnap, watching as George’s eyelids slid shut and his breathing evened out. His chest rose and fell softly with each snore that passed through him, and Sapnap was almost entranced with the man in front of him.

Outside his window, the sun sat in the sky, moving slowly but not moving slow enough. Soon, George would wake up and this moment would end, but it didn’t matter, because they still had a whole lifetime ahead of them. Glancing down at the man snoring softly beside him, he squeezed George’s hand slightly and felt his heart squeeze as well. 

He couldn’t wait to spend the rest of his life with him.

**Author's Note:**

> and here we are! this fic originally started as a 3K one-shot that i wrote on a whim, but i was never satisfied with it so i decided to extend it instead! i didn't think extended it would take an extra week, what with all the extra writing i had to do and the editing and beta-reading i had to get it under, but it was all worth it in the end and my word-count more than tripled in size!
> 
> this story isn't as descriptive and introspective as "heart been broke so many times, i don't know what to believe", but it's mostly because the one-shot would end up being 100K words instead of 10K instead and i, will not put myself under that kind of stress again :) but overall this was really fun to write and i'm proud of the end product, so i hope you enjoy it too!
> 
> (shoutout to bunny for bullying me into finishing this fic faster :,) i wouldn't have had the motivation to finish it without you!)
> 
> [tumblr](https://marsyamallow-xo.tumblr.com/)  
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/marsyamallowxo)


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